Interested in the environment? Want to learn from local and regional environmental experts? Then become a Rutgers Environmental Steward! There is still room (& time!) to register to become part of the Class of 2012 for the Rutgers Environmental Stewards Program!
The Rutgers Environmental Steward program provides training and experience which equips participants to contribute effectively to the process of finding solutions for environmental problems in the communities of New Jersey.
Graduates become knowledgeable about the basic processes of earth, air, water and biological systems. They increase awareness of the techniques and tools used to monitor and assess the health of the environment. They gain an understanding of the research and regulatory infrastructure of state and federal agencies operating in New Jersey that relate to environmental issues. They are given an introduction to group dynamics and community leadership.
They learn to recognize the elements of sound science and public policy based on that science. They acquire some sense of the limits of current understanding of the environment.
Training takes place regionally – in the northat the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Warren County in South Belvidere; in the center at Duke Farms, Hillsborough; and in the south at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) in Egg Harbor Township.
What does Middlesex County’s Cheesequake State Park have over Cape May, Forsythe, Sandy Hook, the Great Swamp, and other more notable New Jersey birding sites? Reliably abundant and nearly effortlessly managed (Talkin’ to you there, Barnegat Light…) stellar winter photo ops. Plus heat.
Cheesequake is just 5 minutes off Garden State Parkway exit 120 and a 5 minute walk through the hardwood forest off its first parking lot reveals the park’s nature center. The building’s raised and roofed entrance deck sits before a small, lightly wooded area designated as a wildlife sanctuary and serves as a near ideal (Shadow issues (See wooded…).) shooting platform.
The center is operated and the sanctuary maintained by naturalist Jim Faczak, who has installed (soon to be upgraded) platform, jar, and commercial seed and suet feeders–the most active a mere 3 or so yards from the deck’s edge. Protected from hikers by split rail fencing and a steep decline across its far end, the location attracts a roster of favorite species, at times in dizzying (Almost fell once…) numbers, with most taking little issue (Aaand…there’s a titmouse on my lens…) with human observers.
The most prevalent–the aforementioned tufted titmouse and the Carolina chickadee and white-breasted nuthatch–frequently alternate positions on the platforms (Focus on the one on the right (Ha ha–focus (Never mind…).).), with the latter assuming dominance in the pecking order by virtue of its, well, yes, pecking. Red-bellied and downy woodpecker compete similarly at the suet cages with their
hairy cousins sometimes entering the rotation.
Dark-eyed junco scavenge below, and several resident Carolina wren (One lives in that house hanging off the corner of the building…) maneuver in intermittent shifts through low lying branches. Blue jay make their presence known vocally before venturing in, and a small group of more reserved mourning dove typically makes its way closer as afternoons progress.
Northern cardinal, song sparrow, and brown creeper are occasional visitors, with others including American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, hermit thrush, American tree sparrow, and fox sparrow observed during more brief and isolated periods. Though rarities are aptly uncommon, there are also no invasives with which to contend, unless we define the term differently and include the occasional hawk.
Red-tailed, Cooper’s, and sharp-shinned all check for status updates, mostly via flyover. Strikes occur extremely rarely. The raptors’ mere appearances though, elicit an instant freezing (as in assuming a motionless position–not in an it’s 30 degrees in the shade and I forgot the Under Armour kind of way) among the smaller birds, creating a silent and somewhat surreal spectacle.
On the plus side of contending with 30 degree temperatures, though choosing a sunny day is most advantageous, shooting here after or even during (See roofed…) a snowfall makes for a sublime photographic experience. The forest itself provides a kind of magical (That’s right, going with magical.) setting when coated in white. And the ground being blanketed not only encourages increased activity at manmade food stations but provides images with added beauty and character as well as enhanced lighting (See shadow issues (Maybe see wooded again if necessary…)…).
With a slight increase in temperature, titmouse and chickadee cling to icicles, drinking droplets as they form. And for those without prejudice, deer can often be easily spotted under these conditions throughout the park. This might be of worthwhile if secondary interest as the sanctuary of course loses the light before do Cheesequake’s many fields.
The nature center is typically open from 8-4 Wednesday through Sunday. Calling in advance is advisable if one wants to be assured of immediate access to bathroom facilities and escapes from the cold (and a hand dryer which, okay, odd, but for the warmth provided a photographer would likely eventually share my appreciation).
Food might not be present at all times but Jim is giving readers permission to bring and distribute seed (Be sure there’s sunflower in the mix.) and suet to insure activity. Results are typically swift and satisfying.
And oh yeah, nuts. Offering peanuts will garner immediate popularity with certain (upwards of two dozen) bushy-tailed residents. If not looking to make friends nor prone to begging-induced guilt (Just me?), indulging the squirrels will also help keep feeders clear for the more typically welcome feathered patrons. And dispensing on the previously recommended platform in particular will optimize results by bringing the most discriminating (blue jay, wren) and timid (red-bellied woodpecker) subjects closer.
Throw in lunch for yourself and a rewarding and unusually comfortable cold weather day at Cheesequake is virtually guaranteed. Just remember the Under Armour.
All photos were taken last winter with a handheld Canon 40D and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS. That’d be the author on deck with a tripod-mounted Canon 500mm f/4L IS this winter.
“Essential Life,” a new art exhibition at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton is one artist’s response to the decay of our environment and its impact on the indigenous wild creatures that once lived there. Tricia Zimic champions these animals, both in her exquisite sculptures and paintings and through her work on an ambitious conservation project on a 2,110-acre site in New Jersey. Zimic creates pieces that are startling and provocative. Through painting, clay, fiberglass, and found objects, she depicts creatures that have been displaced by urban and suburban sprawl: a black bear and its cubs foraging for pizza in the meadowlands, a red wolf traversing a highway or owls inhabiting a metal beam. Zimic offers viewers examples both of animal resourcefulness and population collapse.
Tricia Zimic trained at the Parson’s School of Design where she studied with artists including Maurice Sendak and Frank Giorgini. Her ceramic work is installed in public and private collections worldwide. Prior to starting her career in fine arts, the artist worked for many years as an illustrator of young adult books including the iconic Nancy Drew series. Through her current work in narrative art, Zimic seeks to communicate a message of renewal and conservation. We hope you will have the opportunity to view Ms. Zimic’s 35 inspirational sculptures and paintings. The exhibition will run until February 19, 2012, at the New Jersey State Museum, located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ. Open Tue- Sat. 9 am – 4:45.
It’s that time of year again when we reflect on the year that is ending and look forward to the future. Many species of wildlife such as osprey and bald eagles, had a banner year while others like several species of bats continued to struggle. What will 2012 hold for NJ’s rare wildlife? While we can’t predict the future, we have thought about what we would like to happen to help these animals survive and hopefully thrive in our state.
This year, I have great hopes of laying all the groundwork (design, funding, pre-construction monitoring) for at least one road-culvert project that will protect migrating amphibians. Every spring we bring scores of volunteers onto the roads to reduce frog and salamander roadkills, but special “critter culverts” will take over that job permanently! – MacKenzie Hall, Wildlife Biologist
To secure the support of New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation for full funding for the federal State Wildlife Grants program that will allow for the continued implementation of the State’s Wildlife Action Plan – the blueprint for rare wildlife protection in our state. And, to get out in the field more to see the exciting projects that Conserve Wildlife Foundation staff are working on. – Margaret O’Gorman, Executive Director
To get Little Egg Harbor Twp to reduce the speed limit on Great Bay Blvd to help reduce the amount of female terrapins that are hit-by-car. – Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager
Despite the tremendous effort by CWF and the various management cooperators around the state, New Jersey’s piping plover population has only increased slightly the past two years. We have, however, had two good years in a row of producing young, so here’s hoping we finally see a significant jump in the breeding population in 2012! – Todd Pover, Beach Nesting Bird Project Manager
To complete a status review for NJ’s freshwater mussel species. – Mike Davenport, Marine Species and GIS Programs Manager.
To create a robust speakers bureau that can present programs throughout the state about the important work that we do. – Maria Grace, Education & Outreach Manager
Last summer both New Jersey and Delaware had rare occurrences of sea turtles nesting or attempting to nest on their beaches. In Stone Harbor, New Jersey this past August, a sea turtle crawled onto the beach and dug two holes in an attempt to nest in an area fenced off for beach nesting birds. Unfortunately, the sea turtle did not lay any eggs and eventually crawled back into the ocean. Although no one witnessed the event, the turtle left strong evidence behind – its tracks! CWFNJ’s Beach Nesting Bird Program Manager along with other agency biologists was at the scene to evaluate the tracks. Each sea turtle species has a different track pattern and leaves behind a different shape at their nesting site (their body pit). It was determined that it was likely a state endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) that attempted to nest. Continue reading “Rare sea turtle nesting!”
An eastern red bat found on the roadside. Photo by Gretchen Fowles
I’m starting to see that red bats are rule-breakers. They’re considered forest bats but are happy almost anywhere there are trees, making them common and widespread across North America. Unlike most other NJ bats, they don’t summer in attics or barns or under bark; rather they hang in the tree canopy at the mercy of wind, rain, heat, and cold. They start flying earlier in the evening than other bats, and their females have more young (litters of 3 are common while litters of 5 are not unheard of…most other NJ bats give birth to just one pup per year).
But an unexpected winter sighting makes me awe even more at this colorful little creature. On December 2nd, I was out on a county road in Byram (Sussex) with fellow biologists to plan a culvert project for amphibians. It was a chilly morning – about 45 degrees at 10:00 am – cold enough that I wished I hadn’t left my hat in the car but not quite cold enough to go back for it. On the road shoulder, on its belly, was a red bat. Huh! Red bats are migratory and most head south for the winter. Sometimes they stay as far north as coastal NY and NJ, but a sighting this far inland was surprising. Continue reading “Red Bat Surprise”
Figure 1: A diagram of how the hydraulic fracturing process works to extract natural gas
Many residents of New Jersey may have heard about hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale and the potential ecological impacts to the Delaware River Basin. The following provides an overview of the process of hydraulic fracturing and impacts to our natural resources in New Jersey.
The Marcellus Shale is sedimentary rock buried thousands of feet under the ground. It extends from upstate New York south through Pennsylvania and to West Virginia and west to parts of Ohio. The natural gas in the shale is trapped in tiny spaces and fissures within the rock.
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking uses high-pressure pumps to inject a mix of water, sand, and chemicals into drilled wells that will fracture the shale rock to open cracks and release natural gas (Figure 1). A well can be repeatedly fracked and each gas field incorporates many wells. The process takes an enormous amount of water using an average of 4.5 million gallons of water to frack a well and a well can potentially be fracked up to 18 times. Many chemicals are used in this process, some of which are known to be toxic and known carcinogens (e.g. benzene, glycol ethers). Some chemicals are unknown because they are still considered proprietary by the industry. Many of the chemicals cannot biodegrade so if released into the air or water they are there to stay. Continue reading “Fracking in the Delaware River Basin”
As the season of giving begins, consider becoming a monthly contributor to Conserve Wildlife Foundation and sustain our work with your subscription.
It’s easy to join and it gives you a simple way to support our work a dozen times a year. As a monthly member, you will help stop species loss in a real and tangible way.
For $10.00 per month you will help us to build and install an osprey platform
For $20.00 per month you will buy 24 feet of fencing to protect terrapins
For a dollar a day, or $30 a month, you allow us to deploy a steward on Delaware Bay beaches to protect shorebirds from dangerous disturbances.
And, as a thank you, we will send you a Conserve Wildlife Foundation baseball hat to wear and show your support for species in New Jersey. Sign up today! It’s quick and easy to set up.
The Basic Training Course for Wildlife Rehabilitation focuses on the skill sets necessary to become a successful wildlife rehabilitator. This course offers information and professional training provided by some of the most knowledgeable instructors in the field of wildlife rehabilitation. It includes history, licensing requirements and regulations, mammal, bird and reptile species identification and anatomy, proper handling, care and nutrition, medical procedures, and much more. Approved by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife (NJDEP), this course is part of an alternative route program to meet New Jersey State licensing requirements for wildlife rehabilitators. Successful completion of the course will count for 40 hours toward the 200 hour New Jersey apprenticeship licensing requirement. This course will also benefit anyone interested in the handling and care of native wildlife.
Visit www.cditraining.org for the full announcement, or contact the Career Development Institute at 732-821-6997.
Beech tree seeds for the Allegheny Woodrats collected by Doane Academy Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, and Second Grades.
After reading our September 1st blog post about the endangered Allegheny woodrat and the supplemental feeding program, Bonnie Smith, a teacher at Doane Academy in Burlington, NJ called her students into action. The lower grades (Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, and Second Grades) began collecting beech seeds on the school grounds during their regularly scheduled nature discovery class. Over the course of several weeks, Bonnie and her students were able to collect hundreds, if not thousands, of seeds that will be used to supplemental feed the Allegheny woodrats this winter. Yesterday, here in Trenton, we received that package of beech seed nuts. It warms my heart knowing that the actions of these kids will go a long way in helping the woodrats survive in New Jersey this winter. Stay tuned into the blog as we follow these beech seeds as they make their way from Trenton to the Palisades and hopefully into the bellies of the woodrats this winter.
